Wood And Yves Saint Laurent Inspired This Parisian Home

According to design duo Samantha Hauvette and Lucas Madani, co-founders of Parisian interior-design studio Hauvette & Madani, this stylish Parisian apartment had a very special atmosphere. So special in fact, that it could have perfectly been the home to French icons Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.  

Right around the corner from the city’s famous Trocadéro, it may not have had the architectural heritage of nearby landmarks, but from the art deco-influenced detailing on its staircase to its double-height dimensions, the 1980s building left the designers completely enchanted.

‘We could imagine Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé having lived here,’ says Samantha Hauvette

Two photographs depicting scenes from the wild parties the long-time partners threw back in the 1970s, hang on the mezzanine level in this beautiful home and the similarities are simply striking.

Essential to this comparison is the oak paneling. As part of the one-bedroom flat’s original design, there was never any question of Samantha and Lucas removing it. It may have been out of favor for a while, but as we previously reported, wood is making a big comeback in 2022"s interior design trends!

The colors of the oak had faded over the decades, but an application of varnish helped its beauty shine through. Now, it’s no longer oppressive and dark. Instead, it shimmers in the sunlight. At night, the streetlights create tiny points of reflection everywhere.

Samantha and Lucas’s challenge, however, was not to let this decorative choice dominate. Key to that equilibrium in this home design is an edit of furniture that includes gems from the 1930s, 1970s, and today. 

The kitchen, too, is what Samantha calls ‘a pop of air’. With Calacatta marble countertops and walls painted to create a time-worn patina, it wears marks of decadence but with a lighter touch. 

Just like Saint Laurent and Bergé’s pad, this is a home designed for sophisticated hedonism. 

Source: Elle Decoration UK
Images Courtesy Of Michel Figuet/Living Inside